California Codger Hostels

March 29, 1999 Codgerhostel Ever wonder why you have never heard anything bad about Elderhostels? It is an organization dedicated to the continued education of senior citizens. It provides an opportunity to enjoy learning in a social setting without great social obligations. Although many deep and lasting friendships are probably made during Elderhostel classes, in general class members are unlikely to ever see their classmates again. Often a large portion of each class is composed of single ladies who have lost their husbands. Consequently there are few social obligations to other classmates at the end of a class. Most classes last about one week – starting on Sunday and ending on the next Saturday. The subject of the program we chose recently was “The Channel Islands: Island Life and Ecology” taught by the Center for Studies of the Future at Santa Barbara. The course outline stated: “Off the coast of Southern California lies an island chain known as the Channel Islands. Five of the eight islands and their surrounding mile of ocean comprise Channel Islands National Park. Trace the islands history from Chumash Indian culture and European explorer/fur traders to recent settlers, hunters and ranchers. Study how thousands of years of isolation in this island environment have created unique forms of plant and animal life. Explore the marine life from small organisms to larger animals such as whales, seals and sea lions. Boat field trip to Santa Cruz, largest and most diverse of the islands, will be the highlight of this theme week.” The program cost $425 per person which covered the cost of a motel and meals for the week.

Anacapa -- One of the Channel Islands We felt a little silly staying in a motel when our motorhome was in the parking lot, but wanted to experience the entire program including the social interactions that we might

miss if we stayed in a nearby RV park and commuted to class. We found out later that it is not necessary to stay with the group in the motel and that we could have stayed in our motorhome. It is not my purpose to explain all that Elderhostel is or what it stands for. You may find all this information on their web page: www.elderhostel.org. This is simply my personal impression of the single Elderhostel program that we attended. Pat and I decided to attend one of these programs because we are interested in learning about a wide diversity of subjects. We found the whole idea of Elderhostel to be an interesting concept and it has been highly recommended by several folks for whom we have a very great regard. We certainly had an interest in the subject matter of this Channel Island program. Also, our kids paid for an Elderhostel program as a Christmas present. Consequently, we felt both an interest and an obligation to try Elderhostel, at least once. Maybe Elderhostel is not for everybody over the age of 55. Minority races, for example, are not well represented among those who attend Elderhostel classes. The true reason is not understood, but according to Jim Tanner, the leader of our class, there are several suspected reasons. Minorities do not make wages equal to those of WASPS so they often cannot afford the relative high costs of an Elderhostel class. Minorities usually do not have the educational background of the WASP majority, so they are less likely to feel the need for continued education. When elder minority members were young, many were taught to “know their place,” so they may be somewhat intimidated to join in what they may see as fundamentally a white organization. However, as younger generations of minorities come along who have not been conditioned to “know their place,” Elderhostel expects to see more of them involved in their classes. Elderhostel is even ready to subsidize the attendance of minorities if they can make a clear case for being unable to pay. There is one major exception to the rule that minorities are poorly represented in Elderhostel classes. Somewhere between 35 to 40 percent of participants are of Jewish heritage. On the final morning of the conference, I was asked if I would “do” another Elderhostel. “Maybe,” I replied. “But fundamentally we do a sort of Elderhostel all the time. We travel to new places and learn about the areas. We learn about the geography, geology, biology, and history of the various places we travel while also learning about present and past cultures that lived there.” I cannot speak for Pat, but I have developed some resistance to being “force fed” information. It was my job to “force feed” my students throughout much of my working life. Now I resent those who would try to overload my poor old brain with trivia. However, I try to remain open to ideas that differ from my own and struggle constantly to distinguish between trivia and information that is somehow important or relative. I find that much of the information obtained in Elderhostel classes is really more than I want to

know about the subject. I do not expect to remember next year that certain mollusks use a radula (rows or horny teeth) to scrape moss from rocks. I would much rather educate myself on a subject rather than have more intensive, formal classes on the same subject. On the other hand, “force fed” is really too strong a term, because we are not given any examinations that must be passed or failed. We were always free to take a nap during slide show presentations and were even invited to do so by John Prince, one of our lecturers – probably in jest.

Hands-on at the Channel Islands Visitor’s Center Our lecturers were charming, informative, and entertaining. If you enjoy being stuck in a classroom, John Prince and Marjery Spielman are the kind of lecturers that can bring the subject matter to life. They told personal stories and experiences of their interactions with various animals while diving into the cold waters and down into the kelp forests. They also told of the people who have inhabited the islands. I could find no major criticism of their lectures except for maybe the slides used by John have been used so many times that they were covered with lint. Consequently, the birds in some photos appeared to have hair. Guess I am a little resistant to the regimentation required by Elderhostel programs. Since retiring, I have enjoyed the freedom from the regimentation of a job. Elderhostel is like being thrust back into a job, in the sense that a clock suddenly becomes important again. Janet Tanner, our other leader, had the unenviable job of trying to keep us on time. She found it necessary to tell us over and over the time that classes would start, the time of meals, the time that the bus would leave, etc. She did an excellent job of shepherding us through this program without becoming too irritating. We also were given some free time during the program. But at this point in my life, I tend to disassociate myself with those who wish to control my life and force me to live a life governed by a clock. I place a premium on my freedom from any type of regimentation. I also avoid self-regimentation through too much planning. Folks often ask us where we “plan” to go next in our RV travels. Although we do make general plans to head toward a certain part of the country,

the times, dates, and places are left ambiguous so that we have the freedom to change our minds. Have I grown lazy since retirement? Maybe. But what is the difference? It is not my goal to save the world or educate others to believe as I do about all things. Although I believe strongly in the value of education, I am very happy not to be responsible for what is actually taught. I believe that diversity of opinions often leads our civilization toward improvements on the old ways. Obviously, it is not important for every citizen of this earth to become an entomologist or a biological expert on sea animals. The highlight of the program was to be a boat trip to Santa Cruz Island. We were pleased that the trip was canceled because winds were very high and the sea was rough. However, we were very disappointed to miss the chance to visit the islands – especially after learning so much about them. We certainly cannot fault Elderhostel for canceling the first trip. A day later the wind subsided and we caught the boat. The trip out was a little rough but that’s expected because these Channel Islands often experience rough weather. But when we arrived at Anacapa Island, the sun shone often enough to give color to the flowers, cliffs and waters around the island. We looked in vain for the Scrub Jay species found only on the Channel Islands. We enjoyed a nature walk on a trail across the island. This visit to Anacapa Island was the highlight of the week for us.

Win at Anacapa Island

Pat on the Anacapa Island Trail I suspect that Elderhostel has a degree of upper-middle-class snob appeal. Several of our classmates bragged about having attended over thirty classes. I can only wonder what motivates anyone to spend so much money to attend so many classes. Are they like the “perpetual students” that we often see in our universities – who keep changing their majors while still trying to find what they really want to do with their lives? Or is theirs the pure joy of learning? Is learning not a noble goal? There may be as many reasons for attending Elderhostel programs as there are students. From the little that I know about Elderhostel, I have considerable respect for their goals and methods. My small quarrels with Elderhostel are not meant to suggest that they need to change their methods to suit my needs. Maybe I just don’t fit into the Elderhostel mold.